Battle and Betrayal
by Sailor Grape
Summary: Sailor Moon and the Senshi find themselves caught up in a battle for their lives. Can they survive, or will an unexpected enemy resurface?


Before you read this, I just want to say that you will appreciate it more if you keep an open mind. With that said, read on!  
  
  
  
  


Battle and Betrayal  
  


  
  
She sat impatiently, tapping her long, crimson-dipped fingernails on the arm of her carved bone pedestal.  
  
Her last few plans had failed, and some of her most prized warriors had been brutally slaughtered.  
  
Flowing red hair glistened in the eerie light as she cocked her head.  
  
In a cloud of thick fog, a man appeared. Standing tall and confident in his general's uniform, his silver hair falling perfectly straight, the man bowed grandly to his master.  
  
"What do you have to report, Kunzite?" she asked him.  
  
"I am sorry to report that our last plot to capture the senshi was terminated." His deep, rich voice echoed in the black abyss. "In the disaster, Zoisite was killed, as were several of my strongest youmas."  
  
"Zoisite, you say? He never really had the capability to become a great general like yourself. Now then, another plan must be devised. I have taken it upon myself to ponder a solution." She paused, her eyes flashing momentarily in the dim light. "Take Prince Endymion to them. He is now void of all memories of his past."  
  
"Are you sure he is ready to fight?" Kunzite asked.  
  
"Yes, he is loyal to me now. I would like to use him as a ploy, the bait to trap the senshi. And since they are already aware of his shift in sides, we will adjust our plan accordingly.  
  
"You mean..."  
  
"Hai. He'll win the senshi over once again, and then they'll be destroyed!" Beryl cackled evilly, her fangs gleaming.  
  
  
Endymion paced around his chambers, awaiting orders from his queen. He loathed the slow-passing time. How was he expected to sit around and wait while the senshi were still out there?  
  
As his door flew open, he quickly drew his sword.  
  
"Relax, it's just me," Kunzite said as he sauntered into the room.  
  
"What do you want?" Endymion asked, not bothering to hide his irritation. "I was busy."  
  
"Hai, I can see how pacing across the room is a dangerous task to stop."  
  
"If that asinine comment was all you came here for..." he growled.  
  
"I wouldn't waste my breath on you normally, but our queen wanted me to inform you of her new plan."  
  
"New plan?" Endymion grew interested.  
  
"Hai. She wants you to reclaim the trust of the senshi."  
  
"And how the hell can I pull that off?"  
  
"By doing so as your alter ego."  
  
"You mean Tuxedo Kamen?" Endymion snorted. "He is good for nothing! I am much more powerful in this form."  
  
Kunzite sighed impatiently. "They expect as much from you in this form. As Tuxedo Kamen, they will be reminded of their old ally who was dependable and will trust you more easily in that form."  
  
Endymion thought a moment. "Right. Beryl made a good point. I accept this plan. Now would you mind getting the hell out of my room?"  
  
"I see your manners are improving," Kunzite commented sarcastically as he left the room.  
  
"It's a shame to be bitter like that. Must be horrible not being Beryl's right-hand man anymore." Endymion slammed the door in an angry Kunzite's face.  
  
  
Beryl watched the two men exchange insults in her floating orb. 'Finally a plan that will rid me of those annoying senshi,' she basked in glory. 'When they are all dead, I will rule the universe with my trusty advisor.' She paused, enjoying this thought.  
  
She was interrupted as Kunzite returned to the room. "Endymion agreed," he relayed. "The plan will commence."  
  
"I knew it would." She lowered her eyes menacingly. 'Senshi, your days are numbered!'  
  
  
"Here we go," Endymion muttered. "Time to act."  
  
In a flash, he had changed into Tuxedo Kamen, the knight in shining armor to the senshi.  
  
He waited silently behind a tree, watching as they defeated a youma. He was looking for a good entrance.  
  
As they started walking off, he stepped out of the clearing. "Matte!" he called.  
  
They turned around.  
  
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, starting toward him.  
  
Sailor Jupiter pulled her back. "Iie, Sailor Moon, he's evil now," she reminded her friend. "He's not the same."  
  
"But I am!" he interjected, slowly walking toward them.  
  
"It's a trap," Sailor Mercury warned. "It has to be."  
  
"We know how much you cared for him, Sailor Moon, but that man is gone now," Sailor Venus told her softly.  
  
"Minna, careful!"  
  
The senshi took fighting stances as Tuxedo Kamen approached.  
  
"Don't come any closer," Mars spoke coldly.  
  
He stopped, holding up his hands in defense. "I mean you no harm."  
  
"How the hell are we supposed to believe that?" Jupiter scoffed. "You are one of Beryl's minions now."  
  
"I'm not! I escaped her rule and ran away a few days ago. I've been hiding since."  
  
"I don't believe you," Mercury countered. "You're lying."  
  
"I am not lying," he protested. "I am risking my life just to be here talking to you now! Every second I'm out in the open gives her a greater advantage to finding and killing me."  
  
"Then why are you here?"  
  
"I want to rejoin you. I want- I want to defeat Beryl, to make her suffer as she has made us suffer."  
  
Sailor Moon stepped closer to him. She held his gaze. After a minute she said quietly, "I believe him."  
  
"Are you crazy?" Mars exploded.  
  
"Iie! His eyes... I can tell by his eyes. He is telling the truth."  
  
"Are you sure?" Venus asked, shifting her gaze from Tuxedo Kamen to Sailor Moon.  
  
"I am sure." She stood in front of him. "So you remember? Our past, I mean? You and I, side by side?"  
  
"Of course," he replied. "How could I forget?"  
  
"I knew you'd come back to me!" Sailor Moon cried, throwing her arms around him.  
  
He froze, then stiffly hugged her back.  
  
Pulling away, he said," I must go. Tomorrow I will lead you to Beryl, and we can finally defeat her, once and for all." He turned and started to walk away.  
  
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!"  
  
He stopped, looking back.  
  
Sailor Moon rushed to him, kissing him gently. "I'm so happy to have you back," she whispered.  
  
"Me too." And with that, he dashed back into the forest, leaving the senshi staring after him.  
  
  
He ducked behind a tree and spat in disgust. 'The crap I have to endure to get the job done,' he thought. 'Beryl had better appreciate this.'  
  
He changed back to Endymion, then disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.  
  
  
"How dare she," Beryl muttered in rage. "kissing him like that. She will pay."  
  
She angrily threw her floating orb to the ground, watching it explode into dust.  
  
Kunzite observed from a distance. 'Damnit, that's the third one this week! Endymion had better produce some results, or she will kill us all.'  
  
His boots clicked as he strode down the hallway to Endymion's room. He opened the door, peering inside the empty room.  
  
"Looking for me?" Endymion asked from behind, causing Kunzite to jump.  
  
"Don't ever sneak up on me!" Kunzite seethed angrily. He tried to calm down. "How did the meeting go?"  
  
"As well as, if not better than, expected," Endymion answered breezily, stepping past Kunzite into his room. He slammed the door behind him, but Kunzite caught it.  
  
"You'd better not screw up," he growled. "Our queen's patience is wearing thin."  
  
"No problem. You don't have to tell me twice."  
  
Once again Kunzite found the door slammed in his face.  
  
  
Beryl had been waiting oh so long for this moment. The time had some. The senshi would die tomorrow.  
  
She knelt down, bowing to a hazy black fog. "Queen Metallia, our struggle is almost over. Tomorrow is the day we take over the world."  
  
"I am putting my confidence in you, Beryl," Metallia rasped. "If you fail, this will be the end. Either you destroy them, or I destroy you."  
  
"You won't be disappointed," Beryl promised.  
  
The next day found the senshi waiting for Tuxedo Kamen. They stood tensely in the same clearing that had reunited them.  
  
"This is it," Venus said breathlessly. "The final battle."  
  
"Do you think we can win?" Sailor Moon asked nervously.  
  
"Of course we will!" Mars said impatiently. "We haven't been training and fighting for nothing."  
  
"Mars is right," Jupiter put in. "We're prepared for this. Beryl will regret messing with the sailor senshi."  
  
"I have all confidences in her defeat, but we mustn't forget that Beryl is extremely strong," Mercury stated. "We also have to face Kunzite."  
  
"At least we have Tuxedo Kamen-sama again!" Sailor Moon spoke confidently.  
  
"Hai, that's right" he said, coming up to the group.  
  
"You made it!"  
  
"Of course I did. Are you ready?"  
  
"As ready as we'll ever be," Venus answered.  
  
"Good. Let's go."  
  
Tuxedo Kamen led the group through the forest to a cliff wall, where a giant opening loomed.  
  
"Beryl is in there?" Sailor Moon asked uncertainly.  
  
He sighed. "Iie. This is just the portal. I suggest we hurry."  
  
They carefully entered the cave. Dark shadows were thrown over them as they trekked and climbed through the cave.  
  
"I see light!" Jupiter exclaimed.  
  
"Is it getting colder?" Mars asked, shivering?  
  
They approached the tunnel opening and stepped out onto a field of snow.  
  
"Nani? Snow?" Mercury asked quizzically.  
  
"Hai. Beryl is that way." Tuxedo Kamen pointed straight ahead.  
  
Wrapping their arms around themselves for warmth, they struggled to maneuver forward in the snowy abyss.  
  
Mercury clicked away at her computer. "Minna, something is heading straight for us. Be careful."  
  
The senshi stood tall, determined.  
  
Five youmas approached at warp speed. They stood in midair, gazing triumphantly down at their prey.  
  
Tuxedo Kamen gasped. "Beryl... She's summoning me."  
  
"Nani?" Sailor Moon panicked. "Don't go!"  
  
"I can't-" his sentence was cut off as he disappeared.  
  
"Iie! Not again!"  
  
"Gomen for interrupting your screeching fit, but we have a job to do," one of the youmas said.  
  
As if on cue, they all grinned evilly and charged at the senshi.  
  
  
Beryl smirked, staring into a new floating orb. She found delight in seeing the senshi attempt to attack her best youmas, only to be torn apart and killed off one by one.  
  
She watched the bloody battle, almost in a trance of fascination. First Jupiter, then Venus, Mercury, and Mars. All four were spread out over the snow, staining it a beautiful crimson.  
  
Finally Sailor Moon was alone, looking both angry and afraid.  
  
"She has yet to see fear," Beryl murmured. She waved her hands, and a glowing ball appeared around Sailor Moon. The ball flew her out of the snow and into Beryl's domain, dumping her on the floor.  
  
"That hurt!" Sailor Moon stood quickly. "You! You must be Queen Beryl."  
  
"We finally meet," Beryl replied, sizing her up. 'That scrawny girl is the source of my trouble?'  
  
"Bring my friends back!" Sailor Moon demanded through her tears.  
  
"But I am afraid that is unthinkable," she said with false regret. "They are strewn in bits and pieces all over the ground. They would be next to impossible to bring back."  
  
"You witch!" Sailor Moon spat out. "You killed my friends and took Tuxedo Kamen." She stopped. "Where is he?"  
  
"Why, he's right here." Beryl moved out of the shadows.  
  
Sailor Moon gasped, her eyes wide.  
  
Prince Endymion was standing beside Beryl, his hand clasped with hers.  
  
"Iie. He-he's good again. What-what did you do!" she screamed, rushing at them.  
  
Beryl held a hand up, shooting a beam of energy at Sailor Moon and throwing her back onto the ground.  
  
"What happened?" Sailor Moon whispered, climbing to her knees.  
  
"Nothing. Everything is the way it should be."  
  
"Let me finish her off, Beryl," Kunzite said, appearing next to them.  
  
"Iie, Kunzite. I'd say this job belongs to Endymion."  
  
"Arigato, my queen," Endymion answered. He leaned over and kissed her.  
  
"It can't be" Sailor Moon moaned, squeezing her eyes shut. At the sound of a sword being drawn she opened them, just in time to see Endymion lunging at her.  
  
He was stopped by a brilliant flash of light, his sword in mid-swing.  
  
Sailor Moon was holding out a tiny gold locket in the shape of a star. Hope glittered in her eyes as a sweet melody began to play. "Do you remember? This locket represents our love for each other. I know I can get you back if you just touch it." She held it towards him.  
  
He froze, unsure of what to do. He tentatively reached a hand out.  
  
"Touch it..."  
  
Beryl watched nervously as Endymion reached toward the locket.  
  
But he had other plans. He swiftly kicked the locket out of Sailor Moon's hands, watching it bounce to his feet. "Your sorry attempt to get me to join you will not work. I am, and always have been, devoted to Beryl."  
  
He lifted his foot, bringing his heel down sharply on the locket.  
  
Sailor Moon watched in horror as the star locket was ground into a fine gold powder that settled onto Endymion's shiny black boot.  
  
She hung her head. "Doushite? We loved each other."  
  
"I never loved you," he hissed. "You are weak and pathetic. I could never love such a person."  
  
She looked up, tears forming. "Then just do it," she wept. "Kill me. Without my friends, without you, I have nothing to live for."  
  
Endymion glanced at Beryl in triumph, then returned his gaze to Sailor Moon. "A wise decision. Don't worry; I'll try not to make you suffer too much."  
  
He raised his sword, blade down, savoring the moment. "Shine!" he shouted, plunging the sword down into Sailor Moon.  
  
The sharp steel penetrated her skin, passing through her stomach and out her back.  
  
He pulled the sword out, staring in satisfaction at his shiny red blade.  
  
Sailor Moon looked down in shock. Blood flowed out of her stomach and back, pooling on the floor beneath her. Her fuku grew dark, stained with treason. She slumped to the floor.  
  
"You... You really..." she coughed, blood pouring out of her mouth. Her breathing stopped, her eyes glassed over.  
  
And my job is done." Endymion kicked her in the side for good measure. "Damn, now I have to get my boots shined."  
  
"We have done it, my queen," Kunzite replied. "The world is ours now."  
  
"We?" she asked in surprise. "Ours? Why Kunzite, _we_ did no such thing."  
  
"Nani?" he asked, confused.  
  
"You were of no help to us in this mission. Your usefulness has long since run out."  
  
"Queen Beryl?"  
  
"I'll see you in the depths of hell, Kunzite." Beryl raised her hands and sent a ball of energy at Kunzite, disintegrating him into dust.  
  
"You and I will live on, Endymion. We will rule the entire universe together."  
  
"I look forward to being by your side, my queen," Endymion replied, kneeling down and kissing her hand.  
  
'Looks like I won, Sailor Moon,' Beryl sneered silently.  
  
She threw her head back and laughed demonically, relishing her triumphant victory.  



End file.
